Mothers Raising Sons

28 Apr Mothers Raising Sons

According to U.S. Census Bureau, out of about 12 million single parent families in 2014, single mothers headed more than 80%.

Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 17.4 million — are being raised without a fatherand nearly half (45%) live below the poverty line.

Mothers Raising Sons (MRS) is a resource to assist single moms in their effort to raise their wonderful sons to become exceptional men. Each entry will elaborate on principles taken from the book, When I Became a Man. The foundational premise of the book is “Males are born. Men are built”. MRS will share building blocks for mothers to use.

What are the things every good man should know? What traits should a good man possess? When should those things be taught to boys? At what point are those traits developed in boys? I think there are specific answers to all of those questions. While the answers are not exhaustive, they are accurate. I have seen all too often demands placed on adult males that were impossible for them to meet because the trait, value, or skill had not been developed in them. No matter how much you demand it you should not expect to see what has not been imparted.

There are no guarantees with our children whether they are sons or daughters. But, we can’t just feed them, educate them, pray, and hope for the best. As parents we have to be very deliberate while raising our kids especially our boys. When a boy does not have a close role model, the mom will need a plan to help him become a good man. I want to try to help if possible. I think I can.

I wrote the book, When I Became a Man, to share some lessons from my journey to manhood. I readily admit that I was an adult male before I was a man. I had plenty of adult responsibilities before I was man enough to handle them all properly. That is one of the problems with men. We can create responsibilities that we are not ready to meet. When a man is ill prepared to live a productive life it is so obvious.

Single moms, I applaud you. A great mom is a blessing. A great single mom is a tremendous blessing. When the father is minimally involved that makes you an MVP. You have so much to do with so little time. You rarely get a break. Due to sheer fatigue there can be a tendency to put your son on autopilot when you can. I am begging you to resist that urge. He has to be shaped and molded. Again, males are born and men are built. To build a masterpiece it takes vision and design, a plan, resources and supplies, and effort.

Each month I will try to help you with the plan, resources and supplies. Get the book. Read it and then share it with your teenage or young adult son. Trust me. It will help. I know what it means to become a better man. I have had the blessing of helping to raise a fantastic son. I am presently trying to model manhood for a talented 20-year-old stepson while helping to raise a 10-year-old stepson who is a special kid. I will be sharing with you not only what I believe in, but also what works. I have used the “products” that I will be offering to you.